Turning Tides
by Flawless438
Summary: Derek Hale's ex-girlfriend, who happens to be related to Dr. Deaton, returns from her studies abroad to visit her parents and her brother, Boyd. Derek takes advantage of Kelsey's arrival and tries to persuade her into helping him with his endeavors as an alpha. Set in my own time, sort of with each episode, but spaced in between each. Enjoy! Derek/OC but not in the way you think...
1. Chapter 1

1

Kelsey Deaton had just gotten off the plane at LAX and was about hail a cab to head into Beacon Hills, a town she hadn't seen in years. The 22-year-old brainiac was surprising her family for summer after graduating from college as a business major and finishing her first year of grad school.

She made eye contact with a cab driver and was about to hop in when the door wouldn't close. "Are you serious? Why would you be driving a busted cab?" As she looked down to see if her seatbelt had gotten stuck, she was graced with the sight of distressed black jeans and black combat boots. She didn't know for sure, but she was thinking that whoever this person was, they were going to kill her.

Her heart rate sped rapidly, searching her memory for who this person could be. When her gaze fell upon the man's face, she realized it was someone she knew all too well. Someone she didn't think she'd see ever again. This man was her ex, the man she had spent far too many nights crying over. This man was Derek Hale.

Kelsey POV

I scoffed when I looked into Derek's eyes covered with black sunglasses. I had no words for him. Especially, after what he had put me through before we graduated all those years ago. I sat back in the cab, refusing to speak to him.

"Hey." He said.

I remained silent.

"I need your help, Kels." I gritted my teeth at the cute nickname he had given me in the fifth grade. He knew he wasn't going to get much out of me so he continued. "I need your help with a," he paused, "project I've been working on."

The taxi driver was getting impatient. "Hey, lover boy, could you wrap It up? I need to make some money, here. "

Derek ignored him and kept talking at me. "Just get out of the cab, Kels. I'll drive you home."

This peaked my interest. "You don't even know where I live."

"You've been living in the same house with your dad since freshman year."

I sat there, shaking my head, thinking of how to respond to his request.

I reached into my wallet, retrieved a ten dollar bill, and handed it to the driver. I couldn't believe I was actually getting in the car with him.

"Um, I know I kinda pushed you out of my life, and I wanted to apologize."

"Kinda? The night of our graduation party, you broke up with me and dumped my stuff on my front porch. Then, when I tried to call you to say goodbye, you had blocked my number. You gave me no explanation whatsoever. So, I left." His eyes never left the road and his jaw was clenched tightly.

"Well, then, do it."

"What?"

"Punch me."

"How did you-?"

"Your fists are balled up by your sides and you keep rolling your eyes every ten seconds."

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. Again. "And there it goes again," he said with a smirk. That was one of the things I loved to hate about him.

"You can't even see me!"

"I have insane peripherals in case you forgot."

"How could I forget that? Well I'm still not gonna do it."

"Why not?"

"Just forget about it."

"You know, you were always a predictable fighter, Kels. What makes you think I can't block it?"

"Maybe the fact that you're driving?" I changed the subject. "What's this 'project' you need my help with?"

"I created my own pack."

"Pack? As in of werewolves?"

"Yeah." He heaved a sigh as if he thought I wasn't going to approve.

I laughed in his face. "You're kidding, right? Do you know how dangerous that is?"

"Do you think I care?"

"Of course not. So then why do you need my help?"

"I need you to ask your dad for some stuff that could keep us from harm."

"Us? Wow, this must be serious if you're using first-person plural pronouns."

"Ha, you're cute."

"I know."

"Will you talk to him for me?" I could sense a beg in his voice.

We pulled up to my house and I knew he meant he needed it as soon as possible. "No."

"Come on, Kelsey! For old time's sake?"

"Nope. Thanks for the ride, though." I lugged all three of my bags up the driveway and pulled out my keys.

"Kelsey," he was right behind me now, "please." He knew I hated when he plead with his eyes. I gave up.

"I'll call you tomorrow. We'll talk more about it when you pick me up and take me to get my car. And don't get any ideas."

"Fine."

This was going to be interesting.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the second chapter! I'm gonna try to post as often as I can. Thanks so much to reviewers and followers/favorites. Chapter 2, here we go!**

**xoxo,**

**Flawless 438**

2

I put my key in the door, turned the knob and acknowledged all of the little trinkets my dad had put on the wall in front of the front door.

My parents have been divorced for about 19 years now, and I've been living with my dad since then because my mom clearly wasn't ready to handle a girl.

My brother, Boyd, is still with our mom, though. He and I only share a mother so, when I graduated, he didn't take it quite well. We're all each other has.

I stepped through the large ebony door and closed it behind me. I inhaled deeply, processing all of the scents like the vanilla candles that were located in all three of our bathrooms. "Hello?"

I was presented with a silence and was kind of disappointed. I proceeded up the stairs to my old room and smiled when I realized nothing had been changed. All of my Jonas Brothers posters were left untouched alongside my old bookshelf I had adorned with tickets from movies, plays, concerts, etc.

My bed, laden with green blankets and throws of all kinds, looked much more comfortable than the bed in my dorm. I jumped on it, landing on my stomach, and inhaled the mixture of scents that I had left behind. Part of me wondered why my comforter had not been washed, but the other part was grateful I could smell every memory I had on it.

One of the most recent memories on that spread smelled a lot like the perfume I wore the day I left Beacon Hills. It smelled sweet and fruity, the kind of thing I liked to wear, nothing too heavy and overbearing. I knew that my dad never got it right, the scent I liked, so there was only other person in mind.

A door slamming downstairs broke my thinking about the person whose face ceased to haunt me since my departure. I jumped up off of the bed and silently peeked over the side of the banister. Dad had just gotten home from work and was hanging his coat up in the closet.

As quietly as I could, I climbed a few steps down and sat. When he turned around, I knew he had been lonely. His face lit up as he smiled brightly.

"Hi daddy," I said.

"Kels!" He practically shrieked my nickname.

I ran up and hugged him tightly as tears began to brim my eyes. "You look good! Healthy, happy, etcetera."

He scoffed. "It's not the same without you here, sweetie. So, how has college been?"

"Good as usual. Busy, though!"

"I'm not surprised. I assume Derek picked you up from the airport?"

"How did you know?"

"Your suitcases left colorful trails behind you, leading me to believe he didn't help you with a single one." He never liked my longtime boyfriend, but he tolerated him because, at the time, he made me happy.

"You know me well, Dad." We both laughed at his analysis.

My dad and I had been close since before I could remember. We always carved time out of our busy schedules for each other, something that I had greatly missed when I was away. Most of those father-daughter bonding sessions were filled with attending my tennis matches with Beacon Hills High, something Dad started to slowly get into. The two of us made sure to alternate weeks for cooking dinner and my meals were always substantially better than his, which is why I also wanted to cook lasagna, his favorite, for my first night back.

I noticed his face looked tired and that he had begun to develop bags under his eyes. "Dad, do you want to get some rest? I can make dinner."

"We don't have any ingredients here, Kels. I meant to pick up groceries on the way home, but," he sighed, "I guess I forgot."

"Don't worry about that! I'll go to the supermarket and when i come back, i'll make dinner. So don't you worry your little bald head, I will be back soon."

I grabbed his car keys that he so generously placed on the side table by the stairs and sauntered out of the house.

**A/N: And that concludes chapter two! In the next chapter, to give a little teaser, I plan on introducing the slight relationship Kelsey has with a certain minor character. I want to build on her relationships starting with minor characters first and slowly progressing to the big guys. Also, I plan on having Lydia ask which college Kelsey attends, so, in your review (*wink wink*), let me know where you think she should go between the schools I've already picked out.**

**University of Michigan**

**Columbia University**

**Stanford University**

**Northeastern University**

**University of Pittsburg**

**Thanks, and DON'T forget to review please!**

**xoxo,**

**Flawless438**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys! It's me again! I'm so incredibly sorry for the delay. Life and school and dance have been crazy, but I promise to upload a new chapter as soon as I finish it! Let me know what you think and thanks so much for all of the reviews/follows/favorites/etc.**

On the way to the local supermarket, I blasted the radio as obnoxiously as I possibly could. You see, in college, there're rules for the amount of noise one can make, but your dad's car, you can do whatever you want. So I did just that. Granted I was tapping my finger on the steering wheel to none other than a nice throwback of Carly Rae Jepsen, but hey, maybe someone would call her.

I parked nicely a few rows back from the entrance of the store and began my mad dash for the pasta aisle. I saw the sign and fast-walked as ladylike as I could because you never know who could be watching you when you need to make your aging dad lasagna.

I successfully made it to the aisle and snagged two boxes of pasta. As I traveled further down to find pasta sauce, a quite tall and muscular man blocked my path.

As sweetly as I could muster I said, "excuse me," but it came out in more of a commanding way.

The gentleman in my way had turned around to apologize but I recognized him as, "Danny?" I shrieked.

"Kelsey!" Danny yelled back. He picked me up in a tight hug and spun me around, as he was significantly taller than me now.

"Look at you! You're tall, handsome, and...wow! You've grown up!" I used to babysit him back in the day when his parents worked late.

"Aw, thanks, Kels! And you! You're in college! That's insane!"

"I know, right, time has flown. How've you been? Any special someone's in your life?"

"Ha," he chuckled, "I actually just broke with my last boyfriend. He was a douche." When Danny came out, I was among the first he told, if not the first cause we were really close.

"That sucks, but at least you're on to better things!"

"Definitely! What are you doing in a grocery store? I would've thought Doc made you a full spread."

"Well, 'Doc' didn't know I was coming back, so I thought to treat him to some lasagna."

"You're so sweet, Kelsey. I'll leave you to it then! Night!" Before walking away, he gave me one last squeeze and smiled and walked away, leaving me to continue my hunt for the pasta sauce.

When I found it, I rushed through the checkout line and hurried back home.

"Hey, Dad! I'm back!" I yelled but there was no response. Based on my knowledge of the supernatural in Beacon Hills, I got a bit worried.

I took a peek around the corner in the living and still saw and heard nothing. My heart rate started to pick up as I climbed the stairs to his room. I knocked lightly at the door and heard movement inside, causing me to become relieved.

"Hey, Dad," I yelled out, "I'm gonna get dinner ready."

I went back to the kitchen and got out the pot to boil the lasagna. When I began filling it, I heard the front door slam. Things were just getting weirder and weirder around here, but I guess when your ex is a werewolf you begin to expect these things.

"Dad?" I asked, thinking he was in his room.

"Hey Kelsey! I didn't think you were back yet. I just came back from a quick run into the store. Mrs. Dennis's cat got sick again. "

I bolted back up to Dad's room and burst through the door, only to see the window open and the curtains swaying gently in the wind.

He trotted up behind me. "What's up, kiddo?"

I heaved an aggravated sigh. "I could've sworn you were in your room because I heard some commotion in there. "

He only chuckled. "Those kids."

"Who, Dad?"

"Scott McCall and Stiles Stilinski. They've been looking for a few things to help their research on Scott's werewolf-ness."

"And they couldn't use the front door because..."

"Look, I don't know, Kels. Teenagers are weird like that."

Right. Of course they were.

**That concludes Chapter 3! Also, don't forget to let me know which college/university you think Kelsey should be studying from. I'm so excited to hear what you guys have to say!**

**Xoxo,**

**Flawless438**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys! Here's the fourth chapter! I want to thank everyone who reviewed/read/favorited/followed! you guys are awesome and keep those reviews coming! Enjoy!**

Dad and I ate relatively quickly and were up late catching up and chatting, leading us to not go to bed until around one in the morning. It's funny because in all of my years living with my dad, I never knew him to be able to stay up so late.

It's a good thing the next day was a Saturday, because I was completely wiped. What with the jet lag and the running around I had to do, I needed those extra hours of sleep.

I rolled around a bit, but didn't get up until around 11:30. All I could do was stare at the ceiling and think about Derek's proposition. He needed my help with his pack? I was completely taken aback especially due to the fact that he had approached me without any remorse and was super blunt about his needs.

Thinking about this led me to another topic: Derek's feelings about me. Sure, we're a couple of badasses, but we found a soft place in each other and had originally nested our relationship there.

After he had broken up with me, Derek made no attempt to call me back or write me an email explaining his decision or what he had planned for our future together. I had assumed we were going to be together for a while because we had confessed to each other that we were in love, something I still believe to this day. Now, I don't know what he thinks of me, whether he loves me still, or pushes me out of his mind. Deep down, I wanted him to still love me and still treat me like he used to. Like we were soul mates. I hate sounding so juvenile, but that's honestly how things went with us. Outsiders saw our colder sides, but our closest friends, and family, knew the truth.

Sometimes, I think that the only reason Derek and I fell in love was because I'm his Adviser, as in someone who watches his every move and makes sure he doesn't do anything stupid. My dad let this hypothesis slip when we were arguing about the real reasons Derek and I were together. Whatever that reason was, I knew I would never be able to shake off this feeling.

My phone rang and snapped me out of my thoughts. I drowsily grabbed it and grouchily quipped, "Who are you and why are you calling me?"

"Well, good morning to you, too, sunshine," the husky voice teased.

"Derek, I told you I would call you! Besides, I just woke up." I replied.

"Looks like our timetable has just increased. I'll be over there in an hour." The phone clicked off.

I grunted immediately as I tried to hurl myself out of bed and trudge to the shower. I allowed the warm water to wash over me and loosen my tense muscles.

The next task at hand was what to wear. With Derek, things can get a little messy, I decided on a pair of combat boots with dark green khakis and a sheer black top with a gray bandeau underneath. I brushed my hair back into a high ponytail and applied liquid eyeliner and mascara for some effortless drama.

By the time I had finished my bowl of cereal and brushed my teeth, Derek was honking his horn outside. Before opening the door, I took a deep breath and shook off any odd feelings.  
-

Derek POV

Even though we had just found out the whereabouts of Boyd and Erica, whom everyone thought was dead, I needed a second opinion. So, I called Kelsey to see if she had any ideas.

When I reached her house, I honked my horn three times, something that made me shudder at memories.

Flashback:

A seventeen-year-old Derek pulls up at a sixteen-year-old Kelsey's house and honks the horn three times. Kelsey, still inside, peeks through the window and sees her boyfriend nicely perched on his new, but old, car.

Kelsey squeals and runs out of the house and into Derek's arms. The two share a kiss, one that starts off sweetly and simple, but escalates into something more passion-filled. Finally, out of breath, Derek looks into Kelsey's cute brown eyes and smiles.

"Hey," he breathed.

"Hi."

"Do you know where we're going?"

"No clue," she said, putting her hands in his back pockets and placing her head on his chest.

He held her and placed a kiss on her forehead, whispering, "Let's go find out."

**A/N: I may sporadically add in some dialogue from the most recent episodes (which have been crazy good, btw) to give a sense of time. Or, I'll just hint at the events. Maybe. I'm still thinking about it. Let me know what you think in your review! Also, what do you think Derek and Kelsey's couple name should be? Delsey? Kerek? Let me know! Thanks so much, you guys!**

**Xoxo,**

**Flawless438**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Hey there! Here's the fifth chapter! I realized I messed up quite a bit in terms of time period, so I'm kind of fixing it now. I hope you guys enjoyed the whole backstory last chapter. I figured there needed to be some base to what was going on. Without further ado, chapter five!**

* * *

**Chapter 5 **

I got into the car in silence and waited for him to pull out of my driveway. We just sat there, nothing being said or done until I spoke up.

"Are we going or what?"

"Erica's dead." He said calmly.

Not that I knew her, but Boyd and Erica were Derek's most recent pack recruits. "I'm sorry to hear that. What about Boyd? Is he safe?"

"He and Cora got out of the old bank vault when Allison broke the mountain ash seal."

"Cora?! As in-"

He cut me off. "Yes, my baby sister did not die in the fire that night and is alive."

"And Allison, Argent, is Scott McCall's ex-girlfriend?"

He turned to look at me, "Look at you! You've only been here one day and you already know everyone." The sarcasm was oozing from his tone.

"I'm an Adviser, Derek, it's my job."

"Of course it is," he snapped at me. He took the moment of silence that shortly followed to start the engine of his sleek black Camaro. "We managed to lure them into the school's boiler room last night and keep them until after the full moon. "

"So, I'm confused. You say you need my help with a pack that's already been created and yet it looks like you've got the situation under control. What's the problem?"

"There's an alpha pack in town, in case your dad didn't tell you. That's the problem." He stopped the car outside an edgy apartment building and got out. I assumed the building was his new place and quickly followed suit.

"Well, then! Back a day and I'm already getting involved! Thanks, D."

We stepped inside an elevator that took us to his two-story loft that was nicely furnished and were graced with the sound of grunting.

It seemed as though my sweet "Baby Co" was in fact a young, quite pretty, 17 year-old lady. Looking at her for the first time in a while stirred up some tears in my eyes, which I quickly wiped and sniffed away.

I jogged past Derek and made eye contact with her. "Cora!" I yelled.

She stopped the pull-ups that she had been doing and ran to me, giving me a sweaty hug. "Kelsey! I never thought I'd see you again! Are you and Derek still...?" She trailed off leaving the question very open-ended.

When the fire occurred, Derek, Laura, and I were in high school, and Cora was, supposedly, home sick. She was said to have died in that fire, leaving the three of us alone and the only Hale family left being their comatose Uncle Peter. (Well, he was until two years ago when his entire hospitalization was actually discovered to be a cover-up for the fact that he was alpha.) But, before the fire, Derek and I had finally told each other that we liked each other and began our romantic relationship, leaving Cora to continue this assumption.

I just chuckled in response. "Uh...no, Baby Co. That ship has sailed."

"Oh. Well, what am I in trouble for this time?" Cora asked.

"Nothing, really." I said.

Derek took this opportunity to jump in. "Actually, we need to talk."

"Of course we do. There's not a minute that goes by where I'm not in trouble."

"We just need to know what you know about the alpha pack. Did you learn anything from being in the vault?" I jumped back in since Derek always had a tendency to victimize Cora.

"They didn't do anything to us or really talk to us. All they wanted was for us to kill each other. That's what happened to the other girl. I think her name was-"

Derek cut her off. "Erica. Her name was Erica."

"Yeah. They got a kick out of the whole thing and continued to let us kill one another. It wasn't very pretty. The need to kill was so strong especially because the strength of the full moon had been amplified by the materials in the bank's ceiling."

"Did the three of you ever get to talk?"

"A little. Boyd never talked about anyone but Erica. When she died, he was crushed."

"He loved her," Derek added. "Not only in the familial sense, but also romantically. There was a certain connection they had that I never noticed."

This entire scenario reiterated the fact that I hated Boyd becoming a werewolf.

* * *

**Flashback: **

Kelsey was in her dorm room when her phone rang. She checked the caller I.D realizing it was her brother.

"Hey Bro! What's up? You're not in trouble are you?"

"Not exactly." He said.

"What does that mean?"

There was a long pause. "Well, Derek offered me the bite, so, I took it."

"What?" She yelled. "Why didn't you tell me before you made the decision?"

"To be honest, Kels, I knew you were gonna say 'no'."

"Hell yeah I would've! Do you know the danger you've put yourself in? I knew you weren't happy in school, but, really?"

"You know, if I wanted to be judged, I could've just told Doc." He snapped.

"I'm sorry," she sighed, "it's just that I didn't think things had gotten that bad! Weren't you becoming close with that Stilinski kid? And Scott...McCall, I think?"

"Yeah, Kelsey, but they only needed me for my connections."

"I don't think I want to know what you mean by that."

"I promise you Derek isn't as bad an alpha as you think."

"Woah, there! He's an alpha?"

"Yeah, it's his pack."

"Vernon Boyd! You've dug yourself quite a grave dealing with your sister's ex-boyfriend!"

"That's between you and him. Not me."

"Fine. But if you get into any trouble, call me! Immediately!"

"Of course! I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah," she joked, "bye."

* * *

I snapped back to reality and felt a slight rage come about me. "You didn't think to tell me this, did you?"

Derek knew I was talking to him. "I knew he would call you to tell you. Why would I waste my time doing so?"

"Waste your time? Really, Derek? This is my brother we're talking about here! Boyd! The same kid you used be a big brother to! The little brother you never had! And you're telling me you didn't want to waste your time doing so?"

"No, Kelsey," he boomed, "I didn't! I didn't, okay! I didn't want to hear your voice in my ear about all the things I had messed up on! All of the times I failed to be the man you knew I could've been. I gave Boyd the bite to save him. He was rotting in that school because he was under appreciated. I did it for him and I did it for you!" The true passion oozed from him as though he was telling the truth.

And he was. I knew the look in his eyes, they were tough and yet gentle at the same time.

"Well. I appreciate that, but I would've liked a call. Or something. It was nice seeing you again, Co."

Obviously, Cora had gotten fed up with the conversation because when I turned around to walk out, she had resumed her workout.

"Stop," Derek ordered, "you're not fully healed."

"Yeah, well, I'm tired of just laying around." She quipped back.

"So, then, sit." I faintly heard him say.

I headed back home, grabbing the keys to the Camaro with me.

Halfway along the drive, I realized I'd left my phone on the table in their loft, so turned back.

On my way up, I heard Derek struggle tell someone to "let her go," followed by a British male complying.

There was a group of people inside. I heard three unfamiliar voices, one girl and two guys who seemed to be reeking havoc on the Hales. I sat outside their door, waiting for them to leave, hiding immediately when they came outside.

Once the coast was clear, I ran inside to Derek who was in a heap on the floor with a puddle of his blood right next to him. All of a sudden, emotions washed over me and I stepped in to clean up the situation.

I sniffed. "Okay, let's get him on this table," I instructed Cora.

"I'll get towels," she replied through her own tears.

"Stop it, Kels," I heard Derek struggle to command, "Stop crying."

"What?" I breathed. I hadn't even noticed the tears falling down my face and clouding my vision. I immediately wiped my face, knowing he hadn't seen me cry in years.

In the midst of wiping the final tear, Derek brought a hand up to my face and stared into my eyes. His green ones looking sad and as though they missed seeing my face everyday.

This was how we communicated. We never needed many words to truly express our feelings. They just came naturally and from the heart.

I placed my hands on his and, as if on cue, Cora came jogging back with towels and began cleaning up the blood as I cleaned Derek up. This was also part of my job as his Adviser, making sure he stayed safe, which is hard for Derek Hale to do. I didn't leave until he was fully healed and moving again, slowing down my then rapid heartbeat.

As I walked out for the second time, Cora came up to me and gave me a big hug. "I know I haven't seen you in a while, but I miss you being around here," she told me.

"No worries, Co. It looks like I'm gonna be around a lot more now." With that, I caught Derek's glance and waved goodbye.

Again.

* * *

**A/N: That's chapter five! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I have some interesting things planned for the whole Ms. Blake aspect of Delsey (cute, right?). Please review! I love hearing your opinions! **

**Xoxo,**

**Flawless438**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **

**Heyooo! I hope you guys are enjoying "Turning Tides" because I'm enjoying writing it for you guys. In this chapter, you guys will get to see Boyd and Kelsey reunite as well as a nice flashback with the Hales and the Deaton-Boyds during childhood. Read on and PLEASE don't forget to review! I love hearing new ideas/opinions! Thanks to every single one of you guys who have stuck by this story and watched it grow with me. Thank you for also reading/reviewing/following/favoriting because I greatly appreciate . Love you guys!**

**Xoxo,**

**Flawless438**

After that entire situation, I needed a good night's rest. As soon as I got home, I jumped onto my bed and passed out.

Sunday mornings were always the hardest for me. Ever since my parents got divorced, we stopped going to church, except for Boyd and I. Since I hadn't been home for a while, I wondered whether we'd be able to keep going, but I went by myself regardless, something I hated doing.

After putting on a green dress, white wedges, and my Wolfsbane necklace, I took the keys to the Camaro and drove to church. Our pastor, Pastor Herring, was a really nice person. He understood what Boyd and I went through when our parents split and he offered to let us talk about it. Before I got my license, he also drove us to lacrosse and tennis practices when Dad was caught up at work.

Today's sermon was about forgiveness, something I chuckled at. The pastor and I exchanged a few glances, knowing that this sermon was directed right at me, considering my adolescent dilemmas.

There was always talk about the Hales and their "abnormalities" and such, so when Derek and I first began dating, Pastor Herring and I talked about that too. I had no idea how to carry on a relationship, let alone a successful one, and he assured me that there wouldn't be many issues since we were young and didn't have many things to worry about. That was until graduation came and we broke up. I was crushed and I immediately ran to Pastor Herring about it. He helped to share how teenage boys actually think and what might have been running through Derek's mind. He was basically a free therapist, someone I could pour all of my issues on without worrying about my business being shared with other members of the church. Sure, I had my dad as someone I could go to, but not with things like this, especially since he despised Derek.

After service had ended, I hadn't fully realized that church was over because I still sat in the pew thinking. Someone saying my name finally snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Kelsey?" It was the pastor.

"Hi Pastor Herring!" I stood and gave him a hug.

"How are you? How's college?" He asked.

"It's been good. How have you been?"

"I've been doing well, thank you for asking. Where's your brother?"

I thought quickly on my feet and responded as intelligently as I could. "He wasn't feeling well this morning so he stayed home. He sends his best, though."

He looked sadly at me. "Oh, well, tell him I say hello. You know our house is always open! Mary loves entertaining."

"Thanks, Pastor Herring. I have to go, but I will take you up on that offer soon." I forced a smile, which I was sure he noticed.

I slipped past him and moved briskly towards the parking lot, trying to get out as fast as I could as tears fought their way to my eyes.

Let me just get one thing straight. I hate showing my emotions. It sucks. Especially when that emotion is sadness, because I equally hate crying. My dad always used to tell me that "weakness is your enemy's strength," and it's something I don't intend to forget.

As I rushed to the Camaro, I noticed someone leaning against it. For a second I hoped it was Boyd, but as I got closer, I noticed that it definitely wasn't him.

I approached the person and thought I recognized the face. "Can I help you?" I asked simply.

The person turned around briskly. "Oh, yeah. Well, I mean, no. I'm looking for Derek. Do you know him? He usually drives this car, but I guess you're driving it today, rather than him. Sorry, I'm not making much sense. I'm Stiles. Stiles-"

"Stiles Stilinski," I interrupted him, "your dad's the sheriff and you're Scott McCall's best friend and right-hand man. You've also pined over Lydia Martin since forever. And, most recently, you broke into Dr. Deaton's home looking for something. Am I correct?"

He just stared at me, completely dumbfounded. "Yeah. Yeah, you've got that pretty much correct. It surprises me that you know all of this, but not really seeing as you're Doc's daughter who's back in town from college."

I raises my eyebrow. "Nicely done. Why do you need to talk to Derek?"

"Oh, you know. I was gonna talk to him about, you know, just some stuff. You know," he leaned in towards me, "of the supernatural variety."

"You can say 'werewolf,' Stiles."

He shushed me. "You don't want people hearing you! They could get suspicious."

"Right. Of course. Do you need a ride home?"

"Nah, I'm good, thanks. I've got a ride." He said, looking towards a dumpy Jeep.

"That's yours?" I asked, unimpressed.

"Yes, yes it is. Not all of us can steal our exes cars."

"Wow. You did do your research."

He chuckled, his ego feeling boosted somewhat. "Yeah, it's what I do. So, do you know where Derek is?"

"I don't know for sure, actually, try his new place? If he's not there, then try the family home."

"Cool. Thanks. See you around, Kelsey." He turned and walked away, running his fingers through his hair.

"Wait, Stiles! Have you seen Boyd? Like, at all? I'm worried about him."

"He should be home, actually. I saw him the other day at school when his friend from Junior ROTC was murdered."

"Yeah, Kyle was a good friend of his. Thanks, Stiles."

He smirked. "Yeah, no problem. Also, sorry about your house the other night. Scott and I wanted to check if you guys had extra mountain ash. I just want to know why Ms. Morell is doing what she's doing, but it doesn't matter. Later." He rambled.

There was something attractive about his babbling. Like he was smart and stupid at the same time.

I scoffed and got in the car, only just realizing what he had said. Ms. Morell? As in Aunt Marin?_ What _was_ she up to_, I wondered to myself.

All of a sudden, I found myself in front my house. Well, not my current place with my dad, but my childhood home, where my mother and Boyd currently reside. Sure, I still had the key, but I didn't know whether or not to knock. And yet, I found myself inside the living room looking at my mom in her usual recliner by the lamp reading the latest home magazine.

"I didn't know you we're coming home so early. You should've called." She said without looking up.

"Well, surprise! Is Boyd home?"

She kept silent.

"Hello? Is there a ghost in that body of yours?"

She still kept silent.

Frustrated, I grunted and went upstairs to his room. I knocked twice and opened the door.

There stood my little brother by his window at a full six feet and a few inches. He got his height from his dad.

"Hey, I heard about Kyle and Erica. I should've been there and I'm sorry." I was anxious to hear what he was gonna say.

"What you should be sorry about is the fact that you not once called to check up on me. I haven't spoken to you in three years, Kels!"

"I know, I know, and I'm sorry. I just needed to figure some stuff out and process you, like this, I mean. It's a lot to take in, considering you gave me no choice!"

"You had no idea what was best for me, so why would I let you choose anything? I was struggling here, Kelsey, and you were nowhere around! So, Derek stepped in to help, like he always has. Why can't you accept this as a gift rather than a curse?"

"Because everyone with this 'gift' was born with it! They know how to deal with it! I don't, Boyd, so how am I supposed to help you?"

"You helped Derek!"

"He has nothing to do with this."

"He has everything to do with this! If it had been someone else who you trusted, you would've given me the 'go-ahead,' but since it's Derek, you can't take it!"

"And so what if that's true! I'm trying to look out for you!"

His voice finally calmed. "I just missed you, missed us."

I chuckled, annoyed. "Yeah, I missed you too."

He moved over to me and wrapped me in a warm hug. We stayed like that for a few minutes, then conversed for a while, just enjoying each other's company. After a while, I noticed the sun start to go down, said goodbye, and dialed a familiar number into my phone.

"Kelsey?" The person on the other end asked.

"Hey, Jen! How are you?"

"I'm great, girl! Are you in town yet?" My best friend from college, Jennifer Blake answered.

"Yeah, actually, I got in yesterday."

"Great! I'll pick you up at 9 and we can go for drinks." She was my roommate all four years and she was studying English literature and education to become an English teacher here at Beacon Hills High.

"Cool! I'll see you then. I'll text you my address."

She was true to her promise, and, at 9 we were in the car on our way to a nice restaurant in town.

We chose an Italian restaurant, a favorite amongst all of our friends.

Once at the table, we immediately ordered a bottle of wine and started chatting away. We caught up within minutes and began to just enjoy being friends again.

"I should tell you something, Kels." Jennifer said. She traced the rim of her wine glass with her middle finger, her gaze averting mine. This meant that she had to say something serious.

"What?" I was starting to get a bit worried.

"Your ex, Derek," she paused, "he saved my life from these two," her voice lowered, "beasts."

I knew the "beasts" she mentioned were Boyd and Cora.

"Seriously? What did he say?"

"Nothing, really. I knew it was him from all of the pictures you had in the dorm. Forgive me for saying this, but he's so hot!"

I chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Feel free to date him. I don't think there's much hope for us anymore."

"I would never do that to you, Kelsey! Besides, he kind of scares me at the moment."

"I mean, if you want to, though, go ahead."

"Are you serious? You're just gonna give him up?"

"I'm meant to look after him, not fall in love with him."

"Ahh, so you did fall in love with him?"

"It's complicated, actually. It's a story for a different day, though."

She just humphed and continued to sip on her glass, which she had already refilled once before.

"So, Jen," I began, "what's it like teaching at Beacon Hills?"

She laughed. "It's fine, really. I didn't expect all of this, though."

My brows furrowed. "All of what?"

She leaned in closer to me. "On my first day, an entire flock of crows burst through the windows in my room, injuring a majority of my students."

I had heard about that as well, but still attempted to look surprised. "Wow."

"Yeah. Then, one of the twins I have, Aiden, blatantly rode his motorcycle in the middle of the hallway. Plus, I was trapped in the school's boiler room getting supplies during the attack of those two creatures and Derek found me there."

"And you're certain it was Derek?"

"For sure. I could never forget that face or those incredibly toned muscles." She looked to be dazing off into space, but my laughter pulled her out.

"I've missed you, Jen. What are you up to this weekend?"

"Assuming I survive this next week? Retail therapy, hopefully. I could actually use a good friend to go with."

"Ooh, sounds like fun! If I don't have to babysit Derek, I'll definitely join you. Can I ask you a kind of weird question?"

"What do you mean by weird?"

"What do you think of Stiles Stilinski?"

"He's incredibly bright and always has Scott McCall's back, that's for sure. Plus, he's mega attractive."

"Yeah, I noticed." We caught each other's gaze and laughed really hard.

When I checked my phone, it was almost midnight.

"Wow! It's super late. We should get going since you have work in the morning."

"Girl, you are sooooooo right." You know your best friend is drunk when she starts dragging out words and slurring just a bit.

"I'll take the keys and drive you home. I'll grab a taxi."

The cab picked me up right in front of Jennifer's place and began driving before I even got the chance to give a destination.

"I'm not going too far. I'm right by the grocery store on Elm."

After I got out of the cab, I went to the driver door to give him a ten-dollar bill, noticing it wasn't your average cab driver.

"Derek! What the hell! Is this your go-to? Picking up chicks in cabs?"

"I didn't know you knew that teacher."

"She's my best friend, so if you hurt her I'll-"

"You'll what? Kill me?"

"Yes, actually, in every possible sense of the word. Let's not forget your impeccable inability to resist Wolfsbane." I said as I tugged on my necklace, which seemed oddly lighter.

"Oh, you wouldn't. Plus, you just ran out." He held the violet-looking flower in his palm and chucked it out of the window.

"Try me, Hale." He just laughed in my face. "Thanks for the ride. Again."

"You're very welcome. Now, can I have my car back?"

"No."

"I'll take you to get yours tomorrow. Promise."

"Fine. And don't interrupt my sleep, please."

"Sleep tight, Kels."

I just rolled my eyes and walked away.

It wasn't hard to sleep that night, considering my brain was already fuzzy from copious amounts of wine. Even though I hadn't done so in a while, I dreamt a nice memory, which I guess is just your subconscious recalling the past.

**Flashback:**

Laura perched herself atop a large boulder outside the Hale home initiating a game of "Laura Says." Of course, everybody knew the actual name (and rules) for the game, but nobody dared tell her that.

"Obey my every command, minions!" The 10-year-old belted. "I am your leader! Now, you must run around that tree," she pointed at the largest tree in the Hale yard, "five times. After that, come back here. Now go!"

Derek and Kelsey reluctantly ran around the large Redwood tree, but on the way back, they stopped.

Laura stomped her foot loudly on the boulder. "Kiss my feet, minions!" She yelled.

The two eight-year-olds pretended to throw up profusely at the sound of the command, laughing hysterically afterwards. Those gestures turned "Laura Says" into "Laura Hunts," making the girl chase her younger peers around the front lawn.

"Kelsey, Derek, Laura! Time for lunch!" Talia Hale, their mother, called.

"Coming!" The trio yelled, racing each other to the dinner table.

Once inside, the three washed their hands and sat down, digging into their grilled cheese sandwiches and carrots.

Cora and Boyd were playing with blocks in the living room nearby, adding a certain level of noise to the already busy home.

"Has everyone done their homework?" Talia asked.

"I did, Mama Hale!" Kelsey said proudly. "I finished before we started playing."

"Good job, Kelsey! You can help me make dinner while everyone else is doing theirs. Would you like that?"

The young girl nodded profusely. "Yay!"

Talia laughed. "What about you, Laura? Are you done yet?" She combed her fingers through her daughter's hair.

"No, Mom. I have a few math problems left."

"Okay, my love. When you finish, you can help Kelsey and I in the kitchen. What about you, Derek?"

The young boy remained quiet.

"Derek?" His mother inquired once more.

He looked up at her with his large green eyes. "No, Mommy. I was practicing basketball. We have our first game tomorrow."

Talia sighed. "Fine, but make sure you tell your father to be there tomorrow. What time is the game?"

"It's at 4," the boy beamed.

"Alright. Come on, Kels, let's get dinner started."

**A/N: **

**There it is! Keep those reviews coming! Also, I miscalculated when Kelsey and Boyd's parents divorced. It was actually when Kelsey was 11 and Boyd was 6, like a few years after this flashback, so, they've been done for about 11 years. Sorry, loads of numbers being thrown about right now! An upcoming chapter will explain everything with the family, so don't worry! Forgive me!**

**Xoxo,**

**Flawless438**


End file.
